The present invention relates generally to cribs, and more particularly, is directed to a crib having a novel drop side lock.
Infant cribs which include drop sides or gates are well known. In such case, a mechanism is provided for locking the drop side in a raised position which prevents escape by the infant, and a lowered position which permits access to the infant by an adult. Since infants are involved, safety precautions must be taken to ensure that the drop side will not accidently or inadvertently become unlocked and thus, accidently fall.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,528 to the same inventor herein, and the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, each of the upper and lower rails of each drop side has an end connected to a slide member. The slide members are slidably held on respective guide members that are secured to the vertical corner posts. A spring biased lock pin is provided on each upper slide member for removable insertion into respective holes in the upper guide members in order to releasably lock the drop side between a raised and lowered position. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,639,956 and 4,706,312, both to the same inventor herein, for a similar description and the entire disclosures of which are also incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,075, also to the same inventor herein, and the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an arrangement in which only the upper portion of the side rail is pivoted down in order to obtain easy access to the infant. However, upper locking mechanisms are also provided with this type of crib.
It is also known to provide a drop side with a kick bar mechanism mounted to the lower rail of the drop side. In such known cribs, a metal, vertically oriented guide rod is secured in spaced and parallel relation to each vertical corner post. The upper and lower rails of each drop side are provided with holes through which the guide rods extend, in order to slidably mount the drop sides between the raised position which prevents escape by the infant, and the lowered position which permits access to the infant by an adult. In the lowered position, the lower rails merely rest on the curved lower ends of the guide rods.
In order to secure the drop sides in the raised position, a spring biased kick bar is provided along the length of each lower rail. The kick bar includes a central foot kick and rod ends that protrude past the ends of the lower rails. In the raised position, the rod ends engage with hooks secured to the vertical corner posts. To lower the drop side, the drop side is raised slightly so that the rod ends escape the hooks, and then the central foot kick is pushed inwardly against the spring force. Thereafter, with central foot kick pushed inwardly, the drop side is lowered to a point where the rod ends are below the hooks. The foot kick can then be released, and the drop side lowered along the guide rods. At such time, the spring force will return the kick bar to its original position. On the other hand, during the raising of the drop side, the rod ends will engage and ride over the hooks, whereupon they will be forced by the spring action into engagement with the hooks to hold the drop side in the raised position.
However, there is the necessity of providing a slide arrangement which is separate and distinct from the locking mechanism for locking the drop sides in the raised position. Therefore, the construction of such a crib is undesirable.